Nerve Gearus
by Lanceeselhombre
Summary: A deadly virus is beginning to spread in SAO, placing players underneath a strict time crunch. The goal is to log out before the virus kills everyone, but does the virus only exist online, or in real life?
1. Vertigo

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I'm here with another SAO fanfiction! I've really wanted to write another for the fandom lately, so I went on Google+ and asked you guys for some help!**

 **I thought of this awhile ago but I never put it into effect. So I hope you guys like the concept. If there are any plot holes or flaws please let me know so I can fix them. I will also add in ideas that you guys have to make the plot better.**

 **ALSO! I changed this so that Yui didn't happen (because I haven't figured out her character yet) and they are now on level 90 after the two year period when they would have been on level 75 in the anime. I made these changes so that this fanfiction would be able to work like it does. Some functions of a human body not possible in a virtual world have also been made possible so this can work as well.**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

Kirito laid in his bed in the condo he and Asuna shared, staring up at the ceiling. The light of the virtual sky shown through the window in the room, turning the walls a light blue. Kirito looked over at the door to their bedroom, which lay open from when Asuna had gotten up to make breakfast. Kirito sighed and closed his eyes, wishing that he could be in the real world again, with Asuna as his wife. He couldn't wait until that day came.

He climbed out of bed to see what Asuna was cooking. When he stood however, he thought over his plans as his vision blurred and he suddenly became dizzy. He leaned into the wall for support while he waited for his vision to return and couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling that way. Was it possible to feel dizzy in a virtual world? He didn't think it was.

Regardless of what he thought, the blur invading his eyesight soon faded and he was able to venture to the kitchen when Asuna was working, wearing her signature apron. She heard his footsteps walking towards her and turned to him, smiling warmly.

"Morning." She greeted with a hug.

Kirito returned the hug, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Morning. Whatcha making?"

Asuna smiled wider, having expected the question. "Pancakes, breakfast sausages and scrambled eggs." She giggled as his stomach growled at the thought of food.

Kirito nodded in understanding. Suddenly another dizzy spell came over him, forcing him to sit down before he lost his balance and fell. He rested his head in his arms, fighting the nausea of vertigo.

Asuna's smile faded at his unusual behavior. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Kirito nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm just a little dizzy." He explained, hoping not to worry her.

His words did just the opposite. "Dizzy? Is that even possible in SAO?" Asuna pried.

"That's what I thought but apparently we're both wrong." Kirito said. "I'll be fine. Just give me a moment." He promised.

Asuna hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay…" She said, reluctantly returning to her cooking. For the next few minutes as she worked she constantly looked over her shoulder at her husband, who had not moved from the table. The strawberry blonde placed the prepared food on the stove to cook and walked back over to Kirito. "Feeling any better?" She asked, a hint of worry still in her voice.

Kirito sighed. "Not really. My head is beginning to hurt."

Asuna frowned. "Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked, wanting to help but not knowing how. She knew how to take care of someone that was sick in real life, but doing the same thing in a game was a different story. The laws of physics were not the same.

The raven haired boy whimpered, "Can you turn off the lights please? And close the curtains?"

The strawberry blond nodded and dimmed all the lights in the room. She then sat down next to Kirito, at a lack of what to do. Unable to really help him, she laid her head down next to his and waited for breakfast to finish cooking.

For a while they sat in silence with nothing but the birds chirping outside and their breathing to fill it. Eventually Kirito lifted his head off of his arms and instead propped it up in his hand, eyes closed. Asuna gently touched his cheek, causing him to squint against the small amount of light in the room to look at her.

Asuna smiled sadly, sympathizing with his discomfort. "I love you."

Kirito closed his eyes again. Mustering up a small smile he replied, "I love you too."

The swordswoman stared at her partner, watching his chest rise and fall with his every breath. He looked calm despite being in pain. She admired his ability to hide his feelings, especially during times when he was discriminated against for being a beater. However, it could also hurt when she knew how hurt he was inside but he would refuse sympathy in order to keep up the facade.

The timer rang from the kitchen, signifying that their food had finished cooking. Asuna stood to get it, bringing back two plates filled with pancakes, sausages and eggs. She placed one of them in front of Kirito and sat down with her own, slowly eating her portion as she watched her husband.

Kirito didn't lift his head to eat. Instead he brought the food to his mouth, trusting the fork to get it there. He ate with his eyes almost completely closed, making Asuna wonder how me wasn't missing his own mouth. By the time the boy eventually finished his meal he was half asleep.

Asuna took care of the dishes, knowing that Kirito was in no shape to help out like he normally did. She finished quickly and turned to look at Kirito, who had fallen asleep at the dining table. Asuna smiled at him, reluctantly shaking his shoulder to wake him

The boy moaned tiredly, repositioning his head in his arms. "Sorry to wake you but I think it would be better if you at least slept on the couch." She explained.

Kirito mumbled a reply and pulled himself to his feet long enough to collapse on the couch. He fidgeted until he was comfortable and almost instantly fell asleep. Asuna disappeared into their bedroom for a moment, returning with a blanket that she draped over her partner's figure. She leaned in close to his face, kissing his cheek for a lingering second.

"I hope you feel better."

 **Alright, I'm going to end the chapter here because it seems like a good place. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please leave a review telling me how I did, I am curious to know what you guys think, The next chapter should be out in a few days at most.**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Fear

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back again with another chapter! I'm really hoping writing this will help me to clear my writers block for Recovery Road and Distinct Destiny. I have not given up on either story!**

 **I would also like to point out that this is my very first complex suspense did, so I really hope I am doing okay.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

Kirito woke up hours later, feeling much better than he did when he fell asleep. He sat up groggily on the couch, looking over at Asuna who sitting in one of the chairs in the livingroom. She was watching him with steady eyes, having noticed he had woken up.

"Feeling any better?" Asuna asked.

The raven haired boy nodded. "Yeah. A lot better actually." Unlike before he had fallen asleep, his head no longer hurt and the dizzy spell had passed.

The strawberry blond smiled. "That's good." She said, relieved.

Kirito returned the smile, sharing her relief. He opened his menu for a second, checking the time; it was still before noon. "Do you want to go do some leveling?" The swordsman suggested. They needed to continue to strengthen themselves if they were going to continue advancing in SAO. They were only 10 levels away from completing the game.

Asuna sighed. "Yeah. We probably should." She stood and walked towards her partner. "But only if you're up too it."

"I'm good, I promise I feel fine." Kirito replied, holding his hands up in fake surrender.

Asuna gave him a look before finally believing him. "Okay then, let's go."

.o.O.o.

Kirito and Asuna teleported to floor 90 of Aincrad, landing in the middle of a clearing; their prime place for leveling at the moment. There was nothing but field for miles in every direction, making for a dangerous area, especially in the death game that was SAO. Both teens drew their weapons and stood in wait for their opponents. A few meters away from the duo several kobold sentinels spawned, brandishing spiked maces. They charged the sword wielders with their weapons raised, hate gleaming in their eyes.

Kirito took on the first two while Asuna fought the third, both making quick work of their targets. Brief reward notifications popped up in their vision before another wave of kobolds spawned. They fought on for well over an hour, barely taking hits and managing to go up a few levels each. By this point both were fairly out of breath and were tired from their effort.

The two finished off another rounds of monsters, relishing in the few seconds they had before more appeared. Kirito looked over to Asuna, struggling to pull in oxygen through his lungs. Asuna returned the gaze, just as tired as he was. Unlike her, however, the raven haired boy felt off, more so than just being physically tired. Just like earlier that day, he began to feel dizzy again, causing him to stumble. His vision blurred and began to fade into blackness. His hearing tuned out and became muffled, as if a pillow had been held against his ears. Overall, all of his senses dulled as his mind completely shut down.

Asuna watched as this happened, noticing the slight change in her husbands posture. "Kirito, are you okay?" She asked, worried. Her partner did not show any sign of response, heightening her anxiety. She was about to call out to him again when she saw his eyeballs roll back into his head. A second later his body relaxed all at once and he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

Asuna screamed, unable to figure out what was happening. Judging from how much his actions resembled character death she half expected his body to dematerialize into tiny data fragments. When this didn't happen she rushed to his side, propping his head on her lap and attempting to rouse him. She glanced up at his health bar and noticed it had dropped a little and was occasionally dropping bit by bit. Terrified, the girl drug herself and him to their feet, managing to pull Kirito onto her back.

The strawberry blond heard the sound of monsters spawning to her left, seeing to her dismay several mobile sentinels charging her. She began to panic, frantically searching her inventory for a teleportation crystal. In seconds the enemies were upon her, one of them readying a sword skill. Asuna watched in terror as a mace was swung down at her.

A loud, blood curling scream sounded throughout the air.

 **I'm Sir, I know this was a short chapter. I had to stop it here for the suspense. The next chapter will be a lot longer, I promise. I hope you guys are enjoying so far. Please let me know what you guys think, I am always open to flames and constructive ciriticism.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	3. Enlightenment

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.**_

 **Hey guys! Here's another chapter! As I promised, this one is longer than the last two and explains the whole deal with the virus. I spent a lot of time planning how to write this, a I eventually came up with this.**

 **Enjoy!**

Asuna collapsed on the floor of her and Kirito's condo, shaking from anxiety and exhaustion. She had found her teleportation crystal just as the kobolds attacked her, and she screamed a random destination. That had happened to be her virtual home.

The girl lugged her husband to the couch, terrified and confused as to why he had passed out while they were training. That wasn't something that happened in a video game; she had really believed her friend had somehow been killed. But it wasn't like his current state was any better. She looked at his health bar again, noticing it was continuing to drop as if he was poisoned, but much, much slower.

The overwhelming emotions of her position made her want to cry, but she refused to for the sake of her partner. If she cried she wouldn't be sane enough to watch over him. Fighting back the tears she searched her inventory for a potion, finding one and opening it, holding the vial to Kirito lips, slowly pouring the liquid into his mouth. To her relief he swallowed it and his health bar moved farther back into the green.

The girl sat on the floor in front of the couch, resting her head on the cushion next to her partner's head. She watched his face carefully, hoping he would wake up soon. The second he was up she was going to bring him to find someone, anyone that could tell them anything about what was going on. People didn't faint in games, or get dizzy and have headaches. There was also the question as to why being unconscious was causing the boy's health to slowly deplete.

For hours she stared at Kirito, occasionally checking his HP and replenishing it when needed. It was all she could do to keep him alive to make sure that bar didn't reach zero. It was her sole mission until the swordsman woke up. Soon the sun was setting below the horizon and night was brewing. Asuna was beginning to get tired, but she was terrified to sleep and have Kirito's health deplete because there was no one to watch it.

Desperate, she messaged a trusted friend; Silica. She knew the two well and would be willing to help. Not knowing what else to type the girl said, " _Hey, uh sorry to bother you so late but could you come to my place...I need your help._ "

After she sent the message she sat in wait, fighting to stay awake. After several minutes she received a reply from Silica. " _No problem. Be there in a few._ "

Asuna sighed a sigh of relief. " _Thank you._ " She messaged, truly grateful.

.o.O.o.

Just like the message said, several minutes later there was a knock at the door. Asuna got up to answer it, finding Silica standing in the doorway. "Hi Asuna! So what's up?" She asked, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.

Asuna almost immediately broke down in tears. Silica saw the glistening in her eyes and hugged her tightly. Asuna sniffled, wanting to be able to explain before she began crying. "Something happened to Kirito. He was feeling really dizzy and his head hurt and then he fainted while we were training and now his health keeps dropping like he's poisoned but he's not!" She rambled frantically.

Silica nodded in understanding, hiding her own confusion for the sake of her friend. "It'll be okay, when he wakes up you can go find a medic. Maybe they'll know what is going on." She reasoned, hoping to put the strawberry blond at ease.

Asuna nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm just so worried. I thought that when he fainted he'd been killed..." She drifted off, not needing to continue.

"It's understandable. That's a pretty scary situation to be in." Silica sympathized.

"Yeah." Asuna replied. "I messaged you because I'm really tired but Kirito needs to be monitored or his health might hit zero. Do you think you could take care of him for a few hours?" She asked hopefully.

Silica smiled. "Of course! Go get some sleep! I'll let you know if he wakes up."

Asuna smiled as well. "Thank you so much." They hugged for a second before Asuna walked into the bedroom to get some sleep.

Silica shut the front door and ventured into the living room where she found Kirito passed out on the couch. She saw his HP drop into the yellow zone and quickly fed him a potion to bring it back to the green. Despite everything Asuna had told her had happened to him his face was relaxed, as if he was only asleep.

Having nothing better to do the girl sat on the floor near the couch and played with Pina, occasionally looking up at Kirito HP to make sure it wasn't too low. Seeing how often she had to give him a potion she could only wonder how many Asuna had used before she showed up.

.o.O.o.

Well after midnight Kirito had still not waken up. However, Silica noticed that his HP wasn't dropping nearly as fast as it used to. Taking that as a sign he was recovering, the brunette remained hopeful he would wake up before Asuna did. She didn't want her friend to wake up to her husband still passed out. It would crush her heart.

.o.O.o.

Within the next hour Kirito finally began to open his eyes. He felt ridiculously weak, unable to do anything more than open his eyes. He saw Silica sitting on the floor next to him, her pet dragon resting in her lap. She appeared to be asleep. The boy could only guess how long he'd been out since he couldn't see through any of the windows in the house. He was a little worried when he didn't see Asuna anywhere, but the rational side of him figured she was sleeping as well.

The boy attempted to get Silica's attention by calling her name, quickly realising that wasn't going to work because his voice wasn't functioning yet. Instead he weakly kicked a leg in her direction, managing to tap her shoulder.

Silica instantly jolted awake. She looked around at her surroundings, and upon remembering why she was at her friends' house absolutely freaked. The girl face palmed at immediately began frantically searching for some potions in her inventory. "Oh man, Asuna is going to kill me! Please tell me his HP didn't drop too low!" She mumbled, making no sense to the boy on the couch.

She leaned towards Kirito, one of several potions in her hand as she readied to feed it to him. After a quick glance at his health gauge she stopped in her tracks, utterly confused. She had been out for awhile, but his health was full. For a second she thought Asuna was awake already, causing her heart to drop.

The girl looked at Kirito's face, seeing him looking back with tired eyes. The two locked eyes for a few moments, the gears in Silica's brain going into overdrive to make sense of her situation. Finally, she realized that her friend had finally woken up. With a small yip of delight she jumped to her feet and ran to the bedroom to wake Asuna, leaving the confused boy alone on the couch.

A few seconds later Slica came running back into the room, this time with Asuna at her side. The strawberry blond was wide eyed, her hands covering her mouth. She leaned down and hugged Kirito tightly, fighting back tears.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She exclaimed, overjoyed to see her husband awake. "You fainted while we were leveling and I thought you were never going to wake up!"

Kirito pulled his tired arms around Asuna, returning her embrace with a weak hug. He closed his eyes contently, happy to see his wife again. "How long was I out?" He managed to croak, his voice barely above a whisper.

"A little longer than 24 hours." Asuna replied. "How do you feel?" She asked as she pulled back, searching him for any signs of illness.

The raven haired boy sighed. "Tired. Like I haven't slept in days."

Asuna smiled. "That's good, at least you're not dizzy or anything." She paused. "When you're able to move around we need to bring you to a medic; we need to know what's happening."

Kirito nodded. "I'm ready now, I just might be a little slow." He attempted to sit up, using his partner to steady himself. The girl helped him to stand, his legs wobbling beneath him. It became obvious to both of them that he was going to be unable to walk seeing as how he could barely stand.

"Are you sure you want to go now?" Asuna asked.

"Yes." Kirito replied determinedly.

The girl shook her head. "Alright, then you're taking a ride." She turned away from him and crouched down slightly, pulling the boy onto her back piggyback style. Once he was resting on her hips she asked, "Comfortable?" The boy mumbled a response that Asuna took as a yes.

Asuna looked over to Silica, who was standing a few feet away watching the two carefully. "Could you come along and grab some doors for me?"

The brunette smiled. "Of course!"

.o.O.o.

As the trio walked through town to the closest medic, they received odd looks from just about everyone they passed. It was not a common sight for a male player to be carried around on the back of a female player, especially when the boy was a well known beater. The swordsman could hear the hateful gossip as they passed, discriminating against him for everything from his relationship with Asuna to his very existence. However, given his current state he couldn't care less.

Within a few minutes the three arrived at the medic's shop, a modest brick building at the opening of an alleyway. Silica held the door for Asuna as she walked in, her husband still on her back.

The medic was a man with silver hair and blue eyes wearing a simple black outfit. He stood behind a counter covered in various potions and crystals, smiling at who he assumed to be customers. "Welcome!" He greeted, smiling widely at the trio. "How may I help you today?"

Asuna walked up to the counter. "Something weird has been going on with my friend and we were wondering if you could tell us what is wrong."

The medic nodded. "Of course. I assume this is your friend?" He asked politely, motioning to Kirito.

The strawberry blond smiled. "Yeah, that's him." She leaned down to let him off her back, now supporting him with an arm underneath his shoulders.

"Hello young man. How are you feeling?" The medic asked, getting right down to business.

"A little weak." Kirito replied honestly.

The silverette nodded thoughtfully. "What exactly has been happening to you?"

For this question Kirito didn't really have a response, since he wasn't awake for half of it and for the other half too sick to care. Speaking up for her partner, Asuna said, "He was feeling dizzy and had a headache yesterday morning, and then we went leveling once he felt better but he fainted in the middle of it. He just woke up a few hours ago from that."

The response of the medic was not what any of them had been expecting. He was not calm and collected; more rather he became nervous and afraid. "It can't be…" He said, drifting off.

"It can't be what?" Asuna asked confusedly.

The medic gazed into the swordsman's eyes. "Have you felt any...sensations recently that should not occur inside a virtual realm?"

Kirito thought for a moment. "Um...not really…."

"What about any glitches or changes in the game mechanics?" The medic pried.

"Every once and awhile a few pixels in my eyesight glitch out and turn to static." Kirito said, hoping that was what the medic wanted.

The man cupped a hand over his mouth. "It's spreading." He looked around worriedly, then motioned for the trio to follow him to another room in the back of the store. He had them sit down at a table before he began to explain.

"Unfortunately, your friend here has something we call Nerve Gearus. It is a virus that has begun spreading among SAO players that we believe originated from the microwave signals in the nerve gear meant to kill us should the gear be taken off. Does this make sense so far?" He began.

The three simultaneously nodded. "Okay. So we know next to nothing about this virus and what it does to players but it seems to attack those who have been logged in longer first. The virus weakens a player slowly, crowding their code with unnecessary data, causing events such as headaches and dizziness that are normally only occur in real life. Eventually the player's code becomes so scrambled that it results in a game over glitch, which in SAO kills the infected.

"There haven't been too many cases yet, so not many people have died from it yet but the virus will continue to spread as long as the nerve gear is still on the player, making completing the game the only way to stop the virus. We need to hurry and beat SAO before this infects every player."

The three stared at the medic, mouths hanging open in shock. A virus originating from microwave signals?! "How long does it take to….kill someone?" Asuna managed to ask, unable to put together words at the moment.

The medic replied, "It depends on the player. Players with higher stats and levels have tended to survive longer. Many also tend to die if they are alone, especially during any type of fight. I would guess your friend has maybe a month." He frowned, sad to have to give such horrible news.

"Only a month?" Asuna croaked, shocked and terrified. She looked over to Kirito, who looked back at her. The two locked eyes, unable to respond to what they had just heard. "So...how exactly does it get worse? Like is he going to get any more symptoms?" Asuna questioned, trying to understand.

The medic answered, "Once again, it depends on the player. Every possible symptom is linked to the nervous system, meaning he could have anything from seizures to bladder problems. However, every player simply becomes unresponsive in the end."

Kirito and Asuna could not believe what they were hearing. The medic left for a moment, coming back with a bag full of an assortment of items. "Here, take these; on the house. These are some thing you might need to take care of your friend."

Asuna rummaged through the bag, pulling out a bag of diapers, painkillers, and a variety of different medications you would only find in a hospital. Kirito hit his head on the table when he saw the diapers, his face turning beet red. Asuna put all the stuff back in the bag and added it to her inventory.

She stood, walked over to the medic and hugged him. "Thank you so much for the help." She said.

The medic smiled. "You're welcome. Good luck with your friend."

Asuna smiled in return. With a sigh she moved back to Kirito and picked him up again. "Alright, let's go."

 **Finished! This took me forever to figure out, and even then I still couldn't make some of the things like pills fit into the dynamics of the game. Anyways, I did my best and I hope you guys enjoyed. I'll hopefully be updating soon with the next chapter.**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Suffering

_**Disclaimer:I OWN NOTHIN**_

 **Hello everybody I am back with another chapter! Hope you guys like the story so far. Starting next chapter the plot will get very depressing, so warning for softies!**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

Kirito and Asuna were relaxing together on the couch in their condo a few hours after going to see the medic. Silica had gone home after the visit, no longer being needed. This left the two swordsmen to their own devices, which wasn't much. Kirito was still fairly mortified about the contents of the bag the medic had given them and Asuna simply sat next to her husband, observing him closely. She was worried something new would begin to bother the boy, and she wanted to be ready for when it happened.

There was so many things that could go wrong and that scared Asuna more than it scared Kirito, mostly because she was the one who was mentally present during the previous episodes caused by the virus. So many things filled her head. Would they be able to continue being on the front lines? If they did, what if Kirito fainted during a boss battle? If he had to be left at their house, who would watch him?

The strawberry blond sighed, becoming severely stressed by her predicament. She glanced up at Kirito again, noticing something was off. If she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn the smallest grimace of discomfort was beginning to creep its way onto the boy's face. She could tell he was trying to hide it as well by the way his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, as if he was focusing on a difficult task.

"Kirito?" Asuna spoke up, worried about what could be possibly wrong.

Kirito turned his head to look at her. "Hm?" He said, acknowledging her.

"Are you alright? You look upset." Asuna said, not knowing how else to describe what she was perceiving.

The raven haired boy seemed to understand what she was saying. He replied, "I'm fine. I'm just starting to feel a little sore." He laid his head down on the arm of the couch and stared at the wall boredly.

His partner frowned, not put at ease by his words. "Are you sure? You look like you're hurting. Do you want some medicine?" She offered, opening her inventory, finger hovering over the pain pills.

Kirito shook his head. "No, at least not yet. It really doesn't hurt that bad." He said.

"Okay then." Asuna reluctantly consented, closing her inventory. "Then what do you want to eat?"

"Anything." To him, everything his wife cooked tasted amazing.

The girl tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How about some simple sandwiches? Quick and easy to make." She offered.

Kirito nodded approvingly, still staring off into space. "Sounds good."

Asuna got off the couch and left to start making their lunch, leaving Kirito alone on the couch. He stretched out on the piece of furniture, trying to relieve some of his discomfort. It was odd; literally every part of him hurt, like he was being pricked with a million tiny knives. The sensation hurt in a way that made him just want to be left alone.

The longer he endured the pain the worse it became. Soon he was fighting back tears and regretting not taking the pain pills when Asuna offered the first time. He sniffed loudly, his face contorting in pain. He curled up into a semi ball in an attempt to make some of the pain go away, to no avail. The pain quickly became too much to bear, causing the boy to force himself to his feet to go get his partner.

"Asuna?" Kirito called as he stumbled into the kitchen, his voice audibly cracking.

Asuna turned away from the food to answer him, freezing when she saw his expression. His face was scrunched up in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks and quivering chin. He was leaning into the island heavily, obviously on the brink of collapsing on the floor. His breathing was erratic and heaving in his attempts to not cry, adding to his distraught appearance.

Asuna dropped her knife and rushed over to the boy, pulling him into a tight hug. She allowed him to lean on her for balance, knowing he was barely able to stand. With a sigh she asked, "Why didn't you want to take the medicine?" She rubbed his back comfortingly as his breath hitched and he finally broke into a full sobbing fit.

Kirito buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I didn't think it would hurt this bad. " He cried, fighting to speak in between sobs.

Asuna weaved an arm underneath her partner's shoulders. "Here, let's get you back to the couch." She helped to carry his weight and balance him on the way, trying to keep him from falling down. Her efforts did nothing however as the boy tripped over thin air and fell to the floor, landing roughly on his side. He let out a pained whine upon impact, making no attempt to get back to his feet. Asuna sighed and half carried half dragged her partner the rest of the way to the couch.

She laid him comfortably across the cushions and rummaged through her inventory for the pain pills. On she found them she opened the bottle and poured out two while she read the directions. "Administer two pills once every 24 hours." She read. The girl handed her partner the pills and got him some water to swallow them with.

The boy sat up and quickly swallowed the pills, wanting the pain to be over. He hiccuped a few times as he tried to suck air into his lungs, making Asuna's heart break. She sat down next to him and rubbed his back comfortingly, attempting to make him feel better. Kirito leaned into her, sobbing hysterically.

"Where does it hurt?" Asuna asked, shocked by her husband's grief.

Kirito whimpered, "E-everywhere." The pain had gone from tiny knives poking at him to being dropped into hot lava; the feeling of a terrible burning pain everywhere at once. It was so bad he was beginning to wish he would die, if only to find relief from the torture plaguing him.

Asuna frowned sadly. She read the instructions of the pills again. _'Takes a few minutes to take effect.'_ She read silently. _'I hope so.'_ The girl thought to herself. She felt so bad for Kirito, and it hurt her to know that she couldn't make him better. The only thing she could really do was help him to cope with the symptoms of the virus.

The two sat on the couch silently (with the exception of Kirito's cries), waiting impatiently for the pills to start working. When they did, the raven haired boy's sobs slowly died down until he became quite. The medication had not completely stopped the pain, but had dulled it to the point that it was only a dull ache.

Confident her husband would be okay on his own this time, Asuna went back to the kitchen to finish preparing their lunch. She came back ten minutes later with two sandwiches made the way Kirito loved them, handing one to Kirito before sitting down next to him with her own. They ate in silence, having nothing to talk about. Kirito finished his sandwich quickly just as Asuna expected but without his usual cheer about the delicious taste. It made Asuna sadder about his predicament, knowing that it hurt him to the point where he couldn't even smile anymore.

Asuna finished her food soon after Kirito did, never taking her eyes off of him. She leaned in and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I love you." She whispered, laying her head down on his shoulder.

Kirito laid his head on hers and sighed. "I love you too."

 **Done with another chapter! Sorry once again for how short this one was.**

 **I did my best to really sell the pain he was in. Girls, compare it to your period but much worse and everywhere. Guys, sorry if I couldn't explain well enough.**

 **So this is going to be a fairly long fanfiction, so I hope you can all stay patient with the updates, as in about a week I will be going offline for a week. Just a warning.**

 **I will do my best to be consistent with updates other than that. Thank you guys for reading this, and I hope you guys continue to give me feedback. Reviews and PMS are very helpful confidence boosters that will help a lot with my speed.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Embarassment

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back again with another chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying so far!**

 **We are going to start getting into the depths of what Kirito will be dealing with. The next few chapters will be exploring all of the possible symptoms and how they affect Kirito.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

Kirito and Asuna stayed home for the remainder of the day, having nothing they needed to attend to as a part of the front lines. They two were cuddling on the couch, Asuna on top of Kirito and using his chest as a pillow. For the most part they were silent, just enjoying each other's company, but every once and while they struck up a conversation about a random topic.

As they talked, Kirito was beginning to feel uncomfortable again. He couldn't really explain why though; it wasn't painful and wasn't a sensation he remembered. It felt like some invisible force was beginning to bear down on his lower stomach. Kirito fidgeted under the pressure as he tried to get comfortable. Soon enough, the pressure began to fade. Kirito and Asuna were both starting to fall asleep, exhausted despite not really having done anything that day. The two then fell asleep in each other's arms.

.o.O.o.

The couple slept the rest of the day away and didn't rouse until the next morning. Asuna was the first to wake up, listrening to the sound of the birds chirping outside. She stretched then looked up at Kirito, who was frowning slightly in his sleep. Asuna's first thought that the pain was coming back and was about to wake him up when she remembered it hadn't been 24 hours yet. This realization left her confused; if he wasn't in pain then what was wrong?

The boy squirmed a bit underneath her, attempting to get comfortable. It was then that Asuna also noticed that he was very tense. She watched confusedly as Kirito's brow furrowed and he clenched his hands into fists. Maybe he was having a nightmare? No, that didn't seem right, she had seen her husband have nightmares; this wasn't one of them. She looked at Kirito's face again, which had relaxed, showing no signs of his earlier distress.

While the girl was attempting to make sense of her partner's behavior she didn't notice when an odd warmth began to spread across her stomach. She only noticed the heat a few seconds later, accompanied by a low hissing sound. Confused, she glanced down at her stomach, realizing it was soaked with some kind of liquid.

Asuna climbed off of Kirito, inspecting herself. Whatever was all over her didn't smell, which only made it harder to figure out what it was. She looked back at Kirito, noticing that his stomach and crotch was soaked as well. After a few seconds it clicked in her mind and she made a horrifying discovery.

Kirito was pissing himself. And she was covered in it.

Asuna's immediate response was to shudder in disgust and wake Kirito up. But the shock of the situation kept her planted where she stood. She watched silently as he continued to pee his pants, the liquid rushing over his crotch before being absorbed by the couch. After a few minutes he was finally finished and Asuna was able to will herself to wake her partner up.

She shook Kirito's shoulder a little rougher than she meant to, successfully waking him up. The boy slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Asuna with a small smile. "Good morning." He mumbled, his voice coarse from sleep.

Asuna took a second to respond. "Good morning." She greeted, her tone expressing her distraction.

Kirito frowned a bit at her response. "What's wrong?" He asked as he sat up, realizing for himself why his wife was so distracted. Shocked, the boy stared down at his crotch, unable to believe what had happened. His mind drifted back to the feeling he experienced before he fell asleep, the hard realization of what it was hitting him like a brick. The part that freaked him out the most was the fact that he still had to pee a little.

Kirito meekly climbed off the couch, becoming severely uncomfortable as his pants clung to his thighs. He then stared at Asuna with a 'deer caught in headlights' expression. His eyes ventured downwards, seeing the large wet spot on Asuna's stomach. The boy covered his mouth with his hands, completely speechless.

"I-I am so sorry." Kirito apologized, mortified by what he had done.

"It's okay." Asuna said awkwardly. "You were asleep. You couldn't control it."

The two stood awkwardly for the next few moments, unsure what to do next. His face glowing bright red, Kirito said, "I'm going to go change."

"O-okay." Asuna said. Kirito walked into the other room to change his clothes, wondering how he was going to take care of his need to pee. There were no bathrooms in SAO. There was outside, but it would get old really quick if he had to walk outside every time he needed to pee. Sighing he walked back to the living room, deciding to wait a bit before going outside.

Asuna was in the kitchen cooking them breakfast; egg omlets. Even though Kirito couldn't see her face he knew she was blushing, just as embarrassed about the incident as he was. Not wanting to bother her sat down on the couch in the living room, surprised to see that it was dry. He then waited patiently for Asuna to finish cooking.

When she finished breakfast the two ate quickly and silently, still to riled to speak to each other. They finished eating and were soon on their way to the newest dungeon. Unfortunately, Kirito never got a chance to pee like he had planned and the last thing he wanted to do was voice his growing problem to a group of people from the front lines.

The group they had been sent to the dungeon with consisted of 5 people beside Asuna and Kirito. No one on the front lines knew that Kirito was infected with Nerve Gearus, and they would probably kick him off if they knew. Knowing this, Kirito was going to have to do his best to hide it from them. Asuna was aware of this as well. Before they left she had given Kirito the pain pills again to ensure that wouldn't be a problem, but she could only pray he didn't faint or become dizzy. The possibility of the boy needing to pee, however, never truly crossed her mind.

This was probably the reason why she didn't notice Kirito's subtle attempts to get her attention while they walked through the dungeon corridors. He really didn't want to draw attention, but it was getting hard to keep up a facade at the moment, especially while fighting off a large arsenal of enemies.

After a couple of hours the group found a rest spot within the dungeon, completely free of monsters and decided to take a break. Kirito used this opportunity to pull Asuna aside, making sure they were out of eye and earshot before he voiced his problem.

"I have to pee." Kirito admitted, blushing slightly.

Asuna's eyes widened. "Now?" She asked, mentally slapping herself for not thinking of this ahead of time.

"Yes, now." The raven haired boy said seriously. "I didn't want to say something earlier because of the rest of the group."

Asuna nodded in understanding, the gears in her brain going into overdrive to think of a solution. A number of possibilities ran through her mind, all having a risk they couldn't afford to take. While she thought Kirito stood almost impatiently in front of her, waiting for a response. The whole time she thought he shifted uncomfortably, fighting the urge to cross his legs.

Finally, the strawberry blond suggested, "We could just backtrack a bit and then you could pee. Hopefully they won't come looking for us though." She offered.

Kirito said, "That works. Let's go."

The two backtracked far enough to where they were a good distance from the group but wouldn't be attacked by monsters. Asuna stood a few feet away from Kirito, on the lookout for if anyone came looking for them. Kirito shyly undid his pants, looking over his shoulder constantly to make sure Asuna wasn't watching him.

He sat there for a moment, trying to both work up the courage to pee and remember how to. It seemed stupid, but because he hadn't used the bathroom in over 2 years he had all but forgotten which muscles to use. He quickly figured it out and peed on the wall of the dungeon, embarrassed that Asuna was standing behind him and could hear everything he was doing.

A minute later he finished and zipped up his pants. He then walked over to Asuna, who was still straining her ears to hear any oncoming footsteps. She when she noticed he was standing next to her, saying, "You done?"

"Yes." Kirito said as the two began walking back to the rest of the group.

When they returned the group was apparently about to go looking for them since they were ready to continue on. The seven ventured farther and farther into the dungeon, a lot faster than they had before in any other dungeon. After only another few hours they had made it to the boss.

They cheered happily upon their achievement, excited to return to the front lines with good news. It was to be decided later when the boss battle would take place the next day. On this note they teleported out of the dungeon.

.o.O.o.

Asuna smiled as she checked her stats. "I went up 5 levels today!" She proclaimed happily.

Kirito checked his as well. "Same. 5 levels." He said.

Asuna's smiled faded to a smaller, content one. She hugged her partner tightly. "Tomorrow you have to remember to pee before we leave for the dungeon and then before the boss battle." She pointed out.

Kirito sighed. "Yeah I know." He had only spent one day in SAO having to deal with that, and he was already sick of it. It. Having to manage a bladder alongside being a swordsman on the front lines was tiring and overly stressful.

"Well," Asuna began, "we should get some sleep for tomorrow."

Kirito nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right."

They got changed into their pajamas and climbed into bed to sleep. However, Asuna stopped Kirito before he could get comfortable. Flipping the blanket off of him she said, "Go pee before you go to sleep. We don't need you to wet the bed again," trying not to sound rude.

Kirito blushed. "Uh, yeah I probably should." He said, noticing a small pressure in his stomach. He left to use the bathroom and was back in a few minutes. This time he was allowed under the blankets and cuddled up to his wife. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

 **Finished! I hope you guys like this chapter!**

 **First off, I tried my best to not use the word bathroom because bathrooms don't exist in SAO in case anyone was wondering. Secondly, sorry if Asuna and Kirito were a bit out of character, it was hard to figure out how they would react in these situations. As always, please give feedback as it is greatly appreciated.**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Occasion and Conflict

_**Disclaimer:I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back with another chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying so far. So much went into this chapter, I changed a major part of it two or three times.**

 **Another new symptom will be brought up in this chapter. Warning to squeamish people, vomit is involved. This chapter will also end up being a lot longer than normal as well. This chapter is also very sad. I feel so bad for Kirito, it must suck feeling how he feels. :(**

 **As always, enjoy!**

 _Kirito laid in bed next to Asuna, completely unable to move. He felt horrible; everything hurt again. Asuna sat up next to him, tears in her eyes. Confused, Kirito tried to ask her what was wrong but was unable to do so. He wanted to know why she was so upset; it hurt him to see her like that._

 _Asuna hugged her husband close, sobbing loudly in his ears. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you Kirito! I wish I was able to get you out of here before it was too late!"_

 _Kirito immediately knew she was talking about the virus. This made him even more confused. He still had a few weeks; didn't he? He looked up at his wife's saddened face, wishing he could tell her he was fine. He wanted to tell her he wasn't dying, at least not yet. He wanted her to know how much he loved her, to let her know she wasn't alone._

 _"I'm so sorry. I love you." Asuna whispered. The next thing Kirito knew he was falling._

.o.O.o.

Kirito shot up in bed, clutching his chest tightly. Just like in the dream, he felt horrible. The burning pain was back with a vengeance, he needed to pee pretty badly, and he felt like he was going to puke. Unfortunately, he had to choose which urge to give into, choosing the impulse the puke, mainly because he knew he couldn't make it very far before he did.

He bolted for the balcony of their house, just barely making it to the edge before he was sick. After a few minutes of being hunched over the balcony rail he felt his hair being pulled back. In his haste he had apparently woken Asuna up as well. This upset him for a couple of reasons: he didn't want to inconvenience her, and he didn't want her to see him in his current state. It must have been gross for her to watch him throw up over the balcony.

Asuna patted his back comfortingly, patiently waiting for the puking to stop. She was aware of her partner's predicament by the tears streaming down his face and whenever he squeezed himself in desperation. She felt bad for him, unable to imagine what he was dealing with having Nerve Gearus. It hurt her to see him suffer so much, and she couldn't do a thing about it.

How many floors did they have left? 9, if they assumed that today's battle was successful. It seemed impossible for them to be able to beat 9 floors in just a few weeks. She had to try though, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. She had to attempt to beat the game, for his sake.

Kirito had puked out everything in his stomach after a few minutes and began dry heaving. Asuna stood by his side, whispering calmly in his ear. "Calm down Kirito, there's nothing left to throw up." The girl said. She took one of his hands in her own, the other buried in his crotch as he attempted to not pee. Kirito squeezed her hand gently, silently showing he acknowledged her statement.

It took some time but the boy managed to relax enough to stop dry heaving. He stood up a little straighter and shoved his second hand in his crotch, seconds away from peeing his pants. He sobbed loudly, in so much pain he was finding it hard to move.

Realizing this, Asuna said, "Just pee, you're on the balcony. I'll even walk away." It was obvious to her he wouldn't be able to make it if he tried to go outside.

Kirito nodded and Asuna walked away to get some pain pills and give him some privacy. He quickly pulled himself out of his pants and peed through the spaces between the railings, careful to not get it on anything. Unlike yesterday, he couldn't have cared less if Asuna saw him. He was in too much pain to care.

He finished peeing a few minutes later and zipped his pants up. He stumbled his way to the living room where Asuna was already waiting for him on the couch, pills and water sitting on the table in front of her. When she noticed him come in she got up and led him to the couch, handing him the pills. Kirito took them and leaned back into the couch, completely and utterly miserable.

Asuna hugged the boy gently, allowing him to cry openly on her shoulder. His crocodile tears made her want to cry. It had only been maybe 20 minutes since they woke up and Kirito was already having a bad day. To make things worse, they had to leave for the boss battle in an hour if they wanted to get there on time. Not showing up was hardly an option, it would mean he would be kicked off and she couldn't just sit back and trust the others to beat the boss by themselves. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but she couldn't just sit on the sidelines while her husband began to slowly die.

The pills took effect quickly, toning down the pain Kirito was feeling to a bearable level, though even after the pain subsided he continued to cry. It wasn't as loud as before, but sobs continued to rack his body, now driven by depression and not pain. He cried because he hated being sick, because he knew seeing him hurt made Asuna sad, because he just wanted out of this messed up world. His distress finally broke Asuna's heart enough to make silent tears fall down her face.

"I'm sorry Kirito." She cried. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

Her words were met with nothing but cries. Asuna moved them into a more comfortable position; laying down with Kirito on top of her. He used her chest as a pillow and Asuna allowed it just this one time. She let him cry, knowing that he had to get it out before he was going to feel better. Seeing him break down, however, broke her resolve get him to attend the boss battle.

She opened her message window and messaged the head of the front lines. " _Kirito will not be able to attend the boss battle later today. I will be able to make it. We are sincerely sorry._ "

After the girl sent the message, she laid silently on the couch, listening as Kirito's cries slowly faded. Once he had mellowed out he was quiet as well. From where his head was laid he could hear the beating of Asuna's heart, a function he never realized they had put into the game. He closed his eyes and listened to the calm, rhythmic sound, allowing it to calm him.

The two did not move from that position for quite some time. Kirito left to go pee again, and while he was gone Asuna received a message from the leader of the front lines. The message read, " _We understand, thank you for informing us. We hope to see him next time._ " Asuna reread the message, shocked. They were still on the front lines, and she wasn't even questioned as to why they weren't coming.

When Kirito returned she told him the news. "That's good." The swordsman said. "Maybe I'll be able to be at the next boss battle." He sat down next to her, an ever present frown on his face. After this morning he couldn't find the motivation to even appear happy, and Asuna couldn't blame him for it.

Knowing she couldn't just leave Kirito home alone, she messaged Klein, hoping he would be able to come over. " _Hey Klein, I need a big favor. Can you come to my place and take care of Kirito while I'm gone for a few hours?_ "

A few seconds later she received a reply. " _Yeah, sure. I'll be over in a few._ "

Asuna sighed in relief. " _Thank you._ "

Klein was soon at the door, and Asuna let him in and explained what was happening. Klein patiently listened, nodding occasionally to show he was listening. When she finished explaining, Klein said, "Wow, that must suck. Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

Asuna smiled. "Thank you again Klein. This means a lot."

Klein smirked. "Anytime."

Before Asuna left for the boss battle she hugged Kirito tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye. See you in a few hours. I'll message you when we're at the rest points." She promised.

Kirito nodded his acknowledgement. "Okay. Goodbye."

After Asuna left Klein sat down in the chair next to the couch, leaving the couch for Kirito to lay on. He opened his message list and began messaging someone in his guild.

As he laid on the couch Kirito noticed he had to pee for the third time that day, and it wasn't even noon yet. He hated having to walk so far to use the bathroom every time, and decided to hold it, even though he needed to go really badly. Every few seconds he squirmed in his attempts to ignore his need. He tried not to though, not wanting to give his problem away to his friend.

The incessant fidgeting eventually caught Klein's attention. The redhead asked, "Kirito, you okay?" He hadn't witnessed any of his friend's symptoms himself, so he wasn't sure what to look out for.

Kirito flushed a bit. "I'm fine." He forced himself to stop squirming despite being fairly desperate and pressed his thighs together, not wanting to have to get up again. The boy was hoping to wait as long as possible. The swordsman was beginning to become severely uncomfortable from needing to pee. To take his mind off of it he attempted to fall asleep, naively thinking that the incident from two days ago wouldn't repeat itself if he did. Despite this, Kirito began to drift off, momentarily forgetting about the pulsing in his bladder.

He was almost off to sleep when his bladder contracted hard, sobering him up instantly. The boy gasped, grabbing himself with one hand and squeezed his thighs together to keep from peeing on the couch. He glanced over at Klein, hoping he didn't notice.

Thankfully, he didn't. Kirito climbed off the couch and forced himself to let go of his crotch. Shaking lightly, he said, "I'll be right back." He speed walked outside and quickly pulled himself out of his pants, closed his eyes and relaxed.

But nothing happened.

The boy pushed, trying to force the urine out of himself, only succeeding in making himself need to pee more. He grimaced impatiently, trying again and again only to fail. After a few minutes Kirito walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch again.

Starting to freak out, he messaged Asuna, hoping she'd be able to help. " _Hey, um...I have a bit of a problem._ " He didn't give anything away about the virus in the first text, just in case someone read the message over Asuna's shoulder. While he waited for a response the boy sat cross legged on the couch with one hand hovering near his crotch, squeezing his thigh whenever a particularly strong urge came along.

A minute later he got a response. " _What's wrong?_ " Kirito could hear the worry laced into the words.

Kirito took a moment to respond. " _Um..._ " He began, crossing his legs tighter. His face flushed red, showing his profound embarrassment about what he was about to tell her. " _I, uh, went outside to pee but I couldn't_."

Asuna's replied, " _What do you mean? Like you were too nervous?_ "

" _No, I just couldn't. It wouldn't come out._ " He blushed redder, embarrassed he had to elaborate.

" _Oh._ _Well, don't freak out. Just try and pee again in a few. If it doesn't work then message me again._ " Asuna sent.

 _"Okay._ "

The boy sighed, standing up to try and pee again. He hoped he could resolve the issue soon; his stomach was beginning to hurt from the tension. Unfortunately, he was still unable to go. Becoming severely stressed, Kirito walked back inside and past Klein into his and Asuna's bedroom, mumbling about how he was going to take a nap to his friend.

He sat down on the bed, reclaiming his earlier position and pulled up his list and messaged his wife again. " _Didn't work._ " Several seconds afterwards he sent another message. " _It's starting to hurt._ "

" _Does Klein know?_ "

" _No. I didn't want to tell him._ " Kirito really couldn't bring himself to speak up about it. He was too shy about it to even hold himself in front of his friend. There was no way he'd be able to explain his inability to pee.

" _If you don't want to tell him then I can't really help you right now. I'll let you know what's happening and when I'm coming back but that's it. We can bring you to the medic when I get back._ "

Kirito whimpered, hating the reality of his situation. Reluctantly, he messaged, " _Okay, but please hurry._ "

The boy closed his list and opened his equipment menu, switching his clothes with a more comfortable gray shirt and black pants. He laid down on top of the covers on his side, holding himself with both hands to try and ease the pain. At this point, it hurt so much he would gladly piss himself if it meant the pain would go away.

Tears pricked at his eyes as time went on, but Kirito willed himself not to cry. If he did it might alert Klein, and he didn't want him to know about his predicament. However, the tears won and the teen began quietly crying. He waited impatiently for Asuna's next message, wanting the torture to be over.

After what felt like hours Asuna finally sent a message. " _Hey, we're about to go into the boss battle;taking a break first. How you doing?_ "

Kirito forced his hand out of his crotch so that he could reply. " _Not very good. It really hurts._ " As soon as he pressed the send button his hand flew back to his crotch, attempting to help with the crushing desperation.

" _I'm sorry. I'll try and be back ASAP. Just try and relax, maybe take a nap?_ " She suggested, trying to help.

Kirito decided to take the offer. If he managed to fall asleep it would fast forward time until Asuna got home. " _I'll try._ "

He climbed underneath the blankets, careful not to jostle his bladder as he did so. Gingerly he let go of himself, draping his arms over his chest. It was extremely hard for the teen to fall asleep. Every few seconds his bladder would pulse painfully and he had to force himself to keep his arms on his chest and not between his legs. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued to cry. His cries had gotten louder, but he hoped they weren't loud enough that Klein could hear.

His lower stomach felt like it was on fire, not that far off from the feeling of the red hot pain he had experienced earlier that morning. He wished Asuna was there with him; he couldn't wait to visit the medic again and he yearned for a shoulder to cry on. He felt alone in his suffering.

Ever once and awhile he would check the time, praying for the boss battle to end. After a half hour he was in complete agony, full on sobbing into a pillow to muffle the sound. He was certain Klein could hear him now, but the man hadn't come to check on him yet. Kirito couldn't lie still anymore, making sleep impossible. He reached down and undid his pants to stop them from piercing into him every time he shifted.

Finally, a half an hour later Asuna messaged, " _Just finished, we won. Be back home in a minute._ " If he wasn't in so much pain Kirito would have been happy about this news. However, he simply laid where he was while he waited for his wife.

In the other room he heard a door open and close, followed by quick, almost rushed voices. The door opened and closed again before Asuna ran to the bedroom, finding Kirito on the bed. She covered her mouth with her hands, tears overflowing in her eyes as she watched the look of agony on her husband's face.

She quickly sat down next to him and pulled the blankets off of him. She sat him up, noticing his pants were undone. Not being shy about it, she was about to redo them when her fingers brushed his stomach, immediately causing her to rethink it. She moved the boy's shirt out of the way, revealing his stomach, which had a very large and noticeable bulge in it.

Asuna looked up at Kirito, her face full of extreme worry. "Can you walk?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Just as she expected, Kirito shook his head no, unable to speak through his racking sobs.

"Well, I would carry you but it looks like it would really hurt..." She drifted off, not knowing what to do.

Kirito reached his arms out to her, making the universal 'pick me up' sign. Taking this as an okay, Asuna eased the boy onto her back, doing her best to not press on his bladder. "Okay, let's go."

.o.O.o.

In order to get to the medic, Asuna sped walk; walking was too slow but running would only hurt Kirito more. A number of people gave them dirty looks as they passed, but neither cared. Kirito's sobs were deafening to her, as his mouth was right next to her ears. She fought back tears of her own, upset by her partner's obvious distress.

The two rushed into the medic's shop, which was empty except for the medic to their relief. Not waiting for the medic to ask, Asuna explained their predicament. "He really needs to pee but he can't and he's been holding it for hours. He's in a lot of pain."

Wasting no time, the medic brought them to a room with a simple bed and had Asuna set Kirito down on it. The man quickly checked the boy over, taking note of the bulge in his stomach. Coming quickly to a consensus, he said to Asuna, "Give him another pain pill to help with the pain and give him some doxazosin; it was one of the medications I gave you. That should do the trick."

Asuna smiled greatfully, "Can we get some water so he can take it?" She asked politely as she began searching her inventory for the correct medications.

"Of course." The medic left and was back in a few seconds with a glass of water.

Asuna handed the water and the pills to Kirito, who was severely reluctant to take them. Seeing his hesitation Asuna encouraged, "It'll make you feel better, I promise." Kirito finally swallowed the pills after that.

The medic spoke up again. "The pills will start to take affect in a few minutes, I suggest getting home before then."

Asuna nodded, easing Kirito onto her back again. "Thank you so much for the help." She said as she left, starting the walk back home.

In a voice low enough for only Kirito to hear, Asuna said, "If you start to pee while were walking home squeeze my shoulder." Kirito nodded, placing one hand on her shoulder in preparation. Asuna walked faster than on the way to the medic, still doing her best not to jostle her husband. After several minutes they were out of town and almost to the woods where they lived. Asuna told Kirito this, encouraging him.

Their house was starting to come into view when Kirito squeezed her shoulder, hard. Asuna immediately let him off her back, almost dropping him in her haste. The boy barely managed to stay standing as piss instantly soaked his pants. He covered his mouth with his hands and stared at the ground, unable to look Asuna in the eye.

Asuna tried not to watch as her partner peed his pants, though her gaze sometimes drifted back to his crotch. She stepped a few feet away, giving him some space. The only sound that could be heard was the loud hissing coming from Kirito's pants.

The two stood there in a thick cloud of awkwardness while Kirito peed. The longer he took the more awkward the situation became. Kirito's cries died down a bit after a couple of minutes as the pain in his stomach subsided until tears rolled down his cheeks silently.

After another minute Kirito finally finished peeing, leaving the two in an awkward silence. The boy looked down, horrified by the mess he'd made. He gingerly stepped out of it, still unable to look at Asuna.

Not wanting to endure the silence any longer, Asuna decided to be the first to speak up. "Feel better?" She asked. Kirito flushed beet red and nodded. Some of the pain in his stomach remained, but not nearly as bad as before.

"Come on, let's get you inside so you can change."

 **Whew, finally done! This took absolutely forever! I hope you guys liked this chapter, I took into account some reviews I recoieved to make it better.**

 **Doxazosin is a drug that treats urinary retention. Its does not work necessarily how I described it, but if I was 100% realistic then this whole chapter wouldn't really work. There are no such things as catheters in video games; had to make an alternative.**

 **My aim for this chapter was to really emphasize the grief the virus is causing Kirito and Asuna. How did I do? As always, reviews and pms are greatly appreciated feedback.**

 **Until next time!**


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